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Simple English definitions for legal terms
ignorantia juris
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A quick definition of ignorantia juris:
Ignorantia Juris: Ignorance of law. This means not knowing what the law says. In ancient Rome, if someone did something wrong because they didn't know the law, it was usually not a good excuse. Only children and some people who couldn't make their own decisions were sometimes forgiven for not knowing the law.
A more thorough explanation:
IGNORANTIA JURIS
Ignorantia juris (ig-n-ran-shee-uh joor-is) is a Latin term that means "ignorance of the law." This means that not knowing the law is not a valid excuse for breaking it.
For example, if someone is caught speeding and claims they didn't know the speed limit, they cannot use ignorantia juris as a defense. Similarly, if someone is caught stealing and claims they didn't know it was illegal, they cannot use ignorantia juris as a defense.
Under Roman law, ignorantia juris was less likely to excuse mistaken conduct, except in the case of minors and people, such as women, under some legal disability.
These examples illustrate that not knowing the law is not a valid excuse for breaking it. It is important to educate oneself about the laws in their community to avoid any legal consequences.